The ability to detect and monitor occupancy in a space, such as a room or building, enables planning and controlling building systems for better space utilization, to minimize energy use, for security systems and more.
The use of sensors to detect and monitor occupancy in spaces has been explored. For example, motion detectors, such as ultrasound or passive infra-red (PIR) sensors, are commonly used to determine occupancy in a controlled space. However, these occupancy detecting systems are typically not effective in monitoring occupants in a space as they do not easily detect multiple occupants or sedentary occupants. Neither can these systems provide accurate information on locations of an occupant in a space.
Some systems for spatial monitoring or surveillance utilize a low resolution motion sensor together with a higher resolution image sensor, using each sensor according to ambient conditions in a space. These systems also do not enable easy detection of sedentary occupants and therefore do not provide a full solution to occupancy determination.
Improved methods and systems for occupancy determination will provide better building efficiency, operational convenience, and wide-spread implementation of occupancy based control systems in living and work spaces.